Disabling and incapacitating gas generating chemical



ay 7, 1935. Q @055 2,000,131 DISABLING AND INCAPACITATING .GAS GENERATING CHEMICAL Filed March 1, 1932 -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fiwntiar:

May 7, 1935; B G0 5 2,000,131

DISABLING A ND INCAPAGITATING GAS GENERATING CHEMICAL Filed March 1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INF-persons subjected to the action of such gases and {abling @liquid disabling gas generating. composition;

Patented May 7, 1935 s" PATENT OFFICE- DISABLING AND INGAPAGITATING eAs v GENERA TING CHEMICAL 1 Byron 0., Goss, Cleveland, 01119,. assignor to A United States Ordnance Engineers, Inc Cleveland, Ohio, .a corporation of Ohio l Application March 1, 1932, Serial No. 596,103

, s Claims. ,(Cl.167 -*1 7 )i Thisinventicn relates to disabling andinca pacitatinggas generating chemicals, of the .tear gas type, andto mixtures of suchchemicals, which when fired that cause excessive lachrymation. accompanied by violent skin irritation, coughing, sneezing, and pain in the eyes, nose, throat and chest, and otherwise completely disable and incapacitate the gaseous mixtures.

An object of, the invention is to provide a composition of disabling and 'incapacitating 'gas generating chemicals which will produce a disand irritating gas .or gaseous mixture, or suspension, of the tear gas type, which is very effective in unusually low concentrations.

A further object is to provide a composition of disabling and incapacitating gas generating chemicals which will produce a gas or gaseous mixture'or suspension that is exceedingly power- 111 in its disabling-and irritating efiects onthe.

part of the person subjected to its action, in that said disabling gas or gaseousmixtures or suspension is far more severe in the punishment inflicted than known gases or gaseous mixtures in present use, and that is more difficult to ex-' cludeby gas masks than other gases or other gaseous mixtures of the type nowin use. 0

A further object is to provide a'composition of disabling and incapacitating gas generating chemicals which may be dispersed'and' volatilized" andproduce a disablinggas or gaseous mixture or suspension by the use of cartridges, shells, bombs, grenades, and other disabling gas generating devices, etc.,. and thatmay be. used in standard types of protection devices for safes, vaults, automatic and. manually operated systems for protection againstdaylight hold-up attacks, and also against night-time burglary attacks, for

dispersing mobs, capturing criminals, etc, for use in fire arms and artillery, for spraying from. airplanes, and otheragencies for police and'military use, and the like. it i Other objects of theinventionwill be apparent to those'skilled in the art upon reading the specification. l .1

In the acccmpanyingdrawings,

Figs. 1 to 6 illustrate' longitudinal sectional" views of cartridges containing different types ofcharges of disabling gas generating chemicals and chemical compositions.

vFig. is a longitudinal sectional .view. of a standard-type of hand grenade charged .with a produce disabling gases and. disabling gaseous mixtures, or suspensions? and chemical composition, and also a charge of gas under pressure, and also a charge of explosive; and r Figs. l1, l2, and 13'are views, partly in section, of shells containing difierent types of charges of disabling gas generating. chemical compositions, and also difierent locations.

The different types of cartridges, grenades, bombs, shells, etc., which are adapted foruse with this invention, are referred to as explosive devices; r

In Fig. l, a cartridge shell I is provided with a primer 2, anda charge of explosive 3, and also apowdered. disabling gas generating composition 4, the gas-or gases generated carrying irritating and disabling suspensions; the cartridgemay be fired'with a pistol or other type of manual or automatic discharge device, and whenFfir'ed, the gas generating composition'is vclatilized and dispersed over a wide area. In Fig. 2, the cartridge shell I is provided with a charge of powdered disabling: gas generating composition 5, the gas or gases generated carrying irritating" and disabling suspensions, which compositionis mixed with a suitable high explosivefi, and a large sized primer 1; the heat generatedyby the explosive increases the temperature ofthe mass of gas generating chemical and volatilizes and distributes the same as mixed gas or gases andfsuspensions in a highly dispersed statazover a'wide area. In Fig. 3, the cartridge lispr'ovided withacharge of explosive 8, anda frangible capsule'9', for example, of gelatin, and a soft packing in; the capsule 9 is filled with-a liquid disabling gas generating chemical composition; and when the cartridge is fired, the capsule is discharged and'bursts and the liquid gas generating chemicals immediately volatilize and produce a concentrated disabling gas atmosphere containing irritating and disabling suspensions,

In Fig. 4, the cartridge ture of powdered disabling gas generating chemicals l2, and a high explosive I3; a mass of high explosive I4 .is also placed at the bottom of the cartridge next to the primer. This type of car tridge is adapted for a longer range service than I is filled with a mixing the cartridge, the particles of magnesium oxide prevent caking of the charge, and facilitate scattering of the chemical,and-alsoocclude or are saturated with the volatilizedpdisabling gases and irritating and disabling suspensions; the gases of which continue to evaporatejtherefrom for a considerable periodof time and there-i. by keep the surrounding atmosphere gassed for a long period; a charge of explosive I7 is placed at the bottom of the cartridge. In- Fig. 6, the cartridge I is charged with a liquid disabling gas generatingchemical composition. l8, and when fired the liquid is expelled and volatilized, distributing concentrated disabling gases and irritating and disabling suspensions over a wide area, a charge of explosive I 9 is placed at the bottom, below the disc 20.

In Fig. 7, a type of handxgrenade 2|, as disclosed in my application, Ser. No. 577,100, filed November 24, 1931, is provided with a nipple 010- I sure 22, to which is secured a tube 23; the grenade is charged with a liquid disabling gas generating chemical composition 21, and also with an excess of a gas under pressure 28, which gas is also dissolved to saturation in the liquid 21. The gas 28 may be a disabling gas, or it may be a neutral gas such as carbon dioxide, air, etc., orthe substance 28 may be a low boiling liquid underpressure, for example, methyl chloride, ethyl chloride, etc., which is also dissolved to saturation in the liquid 21, and when the grenade is thrown and exploded the entire. contents will be heated and volatilized, the compressed heated gas expanding and distributing the disabling gas and irritating and disablingv suspensions over a much wider area than would be the case if a'compressed gas had not been added to the chemical charge in the grenade. The detachable bouchon 24 is provided with a powerful explosive 25, for example, tetryl, mercury fulminate, vE. C. blank fire powder, etc., and a suitable match or fuse 26.

y In Fig. 8, which otherwiseresembles Fig. 7, the grenade is filled with powdered disabling gas generating chemicals 29 ofsuitable composition, for example, such as described above' under Fig. 2; the grenade may also contain somegas under pressure, for example, a disabling gas, or a neutral gas, such as solid carbon dioxide, or.a highly volatile liquid such as methyl chloride or ethyl chlorideywhen the grenade is exploded, the compressed gas will considerably aid-in the distribution of the volatilized disabling gases'and ir ritating and disabling suspensions..

Figs. 9 and .10, illustrate an improved type of hand grenade 30, disclosed in my application,

Serial Number 566,333, filedOctober' 1, 1931, and is charged with a liquid disabling gas generating composition 3|, and a compressed gas or highly volatile liquid in the space 32, as described under Fig. 7. This type of grenade ispro-vided with a weight 33 on the end of the discharge tube .34, which discharge tube contains the. match 35, match head 36, and a fusible. closure 31; when the grenade is thrown, it fires, bursting the closure 37, and upon landing on the ground, it assumes the position shown inFig; 10, the cona detachable firing head 5!,

I chemical composition tents of the grenade being blown from the mouth 38 of the tube 34 as a continuous high pressure stream of disabling gases, the force of the discharge of the gases twirling the grenade about, and also bouncing the same upon the land, and thereby more thoroughly distributing the disabling gases and irritating and disabling suspensions. 1

In Fig. 11, a shell 40 as disclosed in my application, Serial Number 577,100, is provided with the shell contains a charge of high explosive 42, and also an additional charge of high explosives 43, for example,

tetryl, etc., which violently bursts the shell upon firing; the explosive 43 is covered with metal foil 38. The shell 40 also contains a vessel 44 of glass, which contains a liquid disabling gas generating 45, and also a charge of gas, or volatile liquid such as methyl chloride, under pressure, 46, which is also dissolved to saturation in the liquid' 35, as described under Fig. 7. A body of gas generating chemical powder may also be placed at't'l- When the shell is fired, the.

heat of the explosion bursts the shell and also the vessel 44, and volatilizes the gas generating chemical 45' which develops the mixed disabling gas and the irritating and disabling suspension,

and distributes the same with the aid of the compressed gas over an enormous area. I

.In Fig. 12, the shell 50 contains a centrally disposed tube 5!, filled with such as tetryl, etc., and a detachable firing head 53. .The shell 50 is charged with a liquid disabling gas generating chemical compound 54, and a compressed gas or volatile liquid 55, such as described under Fig. 7. In Fig. 13, the shell 60' otherwise resembles that shown in Fig. 12, but is charged with a powdered disabling gas. generating chemical composition 64, for example such as described above under Fig. 8. When fired, the shell is violently exploded and the gas generating chemical composition heated and volatilized and develops the mixed. disabling gas and irritating and disabling suspension which mixture is dis tributed over a very wide area.

The disabling gas generating chemical composition contains as a principal ingredient, or may consist entirelyof, vanillyl-normalheptoylamide which when volatilized produces a highly irritating and disabling suspension; or this compound may be substituted entirely or in part by any one or more of the following which also produce similar highly irritating and disabling suspensions when volatilized- Vanillyl-normal-hexoylamiole, vanillyl-normaloctoylamide, vanillyl-normal-nonoylamide, vanillyl-normal-decoylamide, vanillyl-normal-undecoylamide, vanillyl-normal-dodecoylamide all of which are solids, and may be used as such either alone 'or mixed with other solid disabling gas generating chemical compounds, or they may be dissolved in disabling gas generating liquids, or in liquids which function as solvents for both said chemical and. for the liquid gas generating chemical compounds; or several liquid disabling gas generating chemical compounds may be mixed the same in a liquid gas generating chemical composition solvent. When liquid gas generating chemical compositions are used they may be placed in the cartridges, grenades, or shells i1lus-' a high explosive 52,

. uone, phenyl-carbylamine-chloride, croton aldeparticular purposes, with percentage compositions.

hyde, and'chlorpicriIu-there also may be used as simple solvents alcohol, ether, chloroform, and furfural; other liquids may also be used in addi-' tion to those above noted.

When used in the powdered state the vanillylnormal-heptoylamide or equivalent may be used alone or may be mixed with any one or more of the following disabling generating chemicalschloracetophenone, phenyl-brorrb-acetate, di-

. phenylamine chlorarsine, p brorm chloractophenone,

iodo-actophenone, diphenyl-chlorarsine; other disabling gas generating chemicals mayalso be used; or the above powdered chemi cals may be dissolved or suspended in disabling gas generating chemical liquids. A highly efficient disabling gas generating composition con-,

,sists of about seven percent of vanillyl-normalheptoylamide, or equivalent and about twenty five percent of chloracetophenone, both dissolved in about sixty-eight percent of ethyl bromacetate; this mixture produces extremely efiective results in that it combines the violent coughing and sneezing effect due to the vanillyl-normal heptoylamide suspension, with the lachrymatory' nose and skin irritant effect of the solution of chloracetophenone in ethyl-brom-acetate,

which latter is extremely efiective as an irritant of the nose and eye, in addition to its function as a solvent for the solids. As noted above, a mixture of solid disabling gas generating chemi cals may be used, forexample, diphenylaminechlorarsine may be added to or substituted for the chloracetophenone. .Special mixtures or solutions of the above chemicals may be used for wide variations in the Among highly emcient powdered mixtures of disabling gas generating chemicals, there may be used two percent of the vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide or equivalent, about six percent of chlorarsine, about eighty four percent of chloracetophenone, and about eight percent of magnesium oxide, all powdered and mixed,.and passedthrough a 100 mesh screen. Or the vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide may be mixed only with diphenylamine-chlorarsine, or with chloracetophenone, or other mixtures may be used "according to the particular service K16- sired. The vanillyl-normal heptoylamide or equivalent as described herein has been found to be highly efiicient when dispersed as a suspension, as an agent to produce violent coughing and sneezing when in concentrations as .low as 0.00005 milligrams per liter of air, whether used as a powder or as a dispersed liquid chemical 'com position in any of the illustrations herewith. The vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide, or equivalent, may be mixed in any proportion with any one or more of the solid disabling gas generating chemicals noted above, and if desired, said mixture may also contain finely powdered magnesium oxide which serves to prevent caking of the mass in the explosive device, and which also effectively aids in scattering of the suspensions or vapors or gases of the volatilized disabling gas generating chemicals. i

The group of disabling gas generating chemical compounds including vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide, vanillyl-normal-hexoylamide, vanillylnormal-nonoylamide, vanillyl-normal-decoylamide, vanillylnormal undecoylamide, vanillylnormal-dodecoylamide, is referred to in the claims as the group.

I claim:-

1. A disabling gas generating chemical composition which generates irritating and disabling suspensions, containing vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide, associated with an auxiliary pressure generating agent. i

2. A disabling gas generating chemical composition which generates irritating and disabling suspensions, .containing vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide, associated with carbon dioxide under pressure.

3. A disabling gas generating chemical composition which generates irritating and disabling suspensions, containing vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide, associated with a charge of a high ex plosive, and an auxiliary pressure generating agent.

4. A disabling gas generating chemical composition which generates irritating and disabling suspensions, containing vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide, associated with chloracetophenone, and carbon dioxide under pressure' 5. An explosive device containing a charge comprising a disabling gas generating chemical composition which generates irritating and disabling suspensions, containing vanillyl-normal-hep- BYRON c. GOSS.

vanillyl-normal-heptoylamide 

